Superstorm Sandy began affecting Maryland one year ago today. Maryland was planning for a direct hit. However, the storm shifted about 80 miles to the north making landfall just north of Atlantic City, New Jersey.

In Maryland, Sandy dumped heavy rain with hurricane force winds on the lower eastern shore of Maryland and 31 inches of snow in western Maryland.

Maryland Emergency Management Director Ken Mallette says the storm claimed 11 lives and cost the state $47 Million in damage. Mallette says "we went from having hurricane winds on the eastern shore to 31 inches of snow in Garrett County."

There were some evacuations in Somerset County and in lower Ocean City where the historic fishing pier was also damaged. Crisfield was the hardest hit area of Maryland.

Mallette says the state executed a "pre-declaration of emergency" some 72 hours prior to the storm going through Maryland. He says this allowed the state to qualify for federal assistance if needed.

Most of the $47 Million damage was due to debris removal as well as public and private assistance. Mallette says about 75% of that was reimbursed by the federal government because of the pre declaration. He says there were 47 claims made for small business loans on the lower eastern shore as well.

Maryland Emergency Management Agency documents show the first two storm related deaths in Maryland occurred on October 29. A man died of exposure in Baltimore City and a woman was killed in a storm related vehicle accident in Montgomery County.

Seven adults died on October 30 due to the storm. Included in those seven were 2 men and 2 women who died of exposure in Baltimore City, Montgomery County, Prince George's County and Garrett County. October 30 also saw a man killed in Anne Arundel County after a tree landed on a home, a woman killed in what has been described as a "vehicle incident" in Dorchester County, and another woman killed in a "vehicle incident" in Prince George's County.

The final two deaths in Maryland attributed to Superstorm Sandy came on October 31. A tree fell on a woman in Baltimore City and a tree fell on a man in Anne Arundel County.

During the "State of Emergency" in Maryland the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, the Millard E. Tydings Memorial Bridge and the Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge were closed to traffic during the midday hours of October 29.

MEMA Director Ken Mallette told WBAL's John Patti that the state "learned a few things from Superstorm Sandy. The storm has led to new legislation that will be introduced in the 2014 Maryland General Assembly that will allow Maryland residents to apply for a tax credit if they have to use either a portable or stationary generator during a severe storm.

Mallette says the storm also highlighted a "spike" in the use of social media during severe weather. Mallette says that is something that they must continue to have "all access" to. The state also learned the value of the ability to document property ahead of a storm. He says this storm was also a prime example of how assistance in severe weather should be at the community level.

To the north of Maryland, where Sandy made landfall, there was some damage in Atlantic City but the worst of the storm damage was to Seaside Heights and Asbury Park in New Jersey as well as Rockaway Beach, New York.

Popular tourist locations such as Seaside Heights and Asbury Park are still recovering. Those seaside communities have seen about a 25% drop in tourism during the Summer of 2013 compared to the previous summer season. There are still temporary boards leading to coffee shops, pizza shops, and amusements in those towns where their boardwalks were ripped up from storm damage.

Despite what many media outlets first reported, Atlantic City was spared severe damage. While there was some flooding of homes and businesses, Jeff Guaracino of the Atlantic City Alliance tells WBAL Radio that "Atlantic City has always been a place of luck and even during Superstorm Sandy we were very very lucky." Guaricino says "the eye of the storm came directly over Atlantic City. As a result we suffered very little damage." While the Atlantic City casinos were ordered to close as the storm approached, Guaracino says a few days after the storm passed, the resort town was up and running again with virtually no debris in the streets.

When asked about towns to the north of Atlantic City such as Seaside heights, Guaracino said "there are things that just are not there now that used to be there prior to Superstorm Sandy slamming into the Jersey shore."

Sandy was the deadliest storm of the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season, responsible for 286 deaths in 7 countries.